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Mile Marker: Chile factoids

Posted:
01/24/2013 12:57:50 AM MST

Did you know?

Chile, with an "e" is a country in South America. Chili, with an "i" is the fiery pepper. The Aztecs called the pepper chilli, with an "i." New Mexicans now call it chile with an "e," and now call bowls of meat, beans and red or green peppers chili, with an "i."

Confused? Then consider this.

Chile is pronounced chilly, the opposite of hot, which makes no sense at all. In English, hot can mean steaming water or a blazing sun. In Spanish, caliente means hot and picante means spicy.

And then there's the fact chile is not even a vegetable. It's a fruit, just like the tomato.

The Spanish introduced chiles to New Mexico where they not only quickly became a favorite way to enliven a meal but also crated the ageless question: red or green?

New Mexico Mile Markers are copyrighted features of Explore! New Mexico aired on public radio around the state, including KRWG at 1:04 and 7:59 p.m. You can hear last week's stories at www.ExploreNewMexico.biz.

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